Pocono Mountain school board member faces charges after beating

A Cresco man active on several community boards is accused of beating his brother-in-law and pointing a gun at him over the possible end of his marriage, according to court records.

MICHAEL SADOWSKI

A Cresco man active on several community boards is accused of beating his brother-in-law and pointing a gun at him over the possible end of his marriage, according to court records.

State police in Swiftwater said George K. Strunk, 38, a member of the Pocono Mountain School Board, punched and kicked his brother-in-law, Gregory Oney, on May 23. The beating left Oney with a broken ankle and a separated shoulder, according to court records.

Following the beating, Strunk allegedly pulled out a .45-caliber handgun and pointed it about one foot from Oney's face and said "No one is going anywhere," according to a police affidavit.

The affidavit states that after holding Oney for about three to five minutes at gunpoint, Strunk let his wife, Debra Strunk, and Oney leave the home. Court papers did not indicate whether the gun was loaded.

Strunk is free after posting $5,000 bail. Court records show that Strunk's bail was posted by David Crosby Jr., pastor at Pocono Community Church in Mount Pocono.

Strunk was charged Friday with aggravated assault, a felony. He also faces three charges of simple assault and two charges each of terroristic threats, unlawful restraint and recklessly endangering another person.

Strunk declined comment Tuesday, directing questions to his lawyer, Brandon Reish. Reish said police have information and evidence that Oney started the fight. No charges have been filed against Oney.

Reish said there hasn't been any decision over whether Strunk would resign from any of the community boards on which he serves as a volunteer.

In addition to sitting on the Pocono Mountain School Board, he's also chairman of the board of the Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport Authority and assistant treasurer of the Pocono Mountains Economic Development Corporation.

"We'll have to talk about that," Reish said.

Reish also said it is unknown whether Strunk will be at tonight's school board meeting.

There is no specific language in the district's school board's policy about removing a member for an arrest or a conviction. However, there is language that requires a member to be of "good moral character."

According to police, Strunk came home around 4 p.m. May 23 to find his wife and brother-in-law having an "open conversation" about the possible end of Strunk's marriage.

He then charged at Oney, police said, punching him in the head, and the two fell to the floor. Strunk got up and kicked Oney in the abdomen, police said.

Strunk's wife got in between the kicks, and got kicked herself at least twice, she told police.

One of the witness accounts in the affidavit states Strunk then kicked Oney in the head. According to Oney's witness account, he said Strunk kicked him in the head three times.

Strunk then backed up and pulled a gun from his waistband, pointing it at Oney's head, police said.

Oney and Strunk's wife begged to leave, saying the fight was over. Strunk said, "This is not over until I say it's over," according to the affidavit. When he finally let them go, Strunk's wife drove Oney to the hospital.